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Welcome to the Transitions Daily Podcast. Transitions Daily is an online recovery group that
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offers a daily distribution of popular recovery resources accompanied by a secret Facebook
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group for discussion. We hope you enjoy today's readings.
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This is Transitions Daily from March 8th, read by Kurt L. from Albuquerque, New Mexico,
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USA. AA Thoughts for the Day. Inventory.
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We continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as
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we go along. We vigorously commence this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have
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entered the world of the spirit. Our next function is to grow an understanding and effectiveness.
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This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to look for selfishness,
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dishonesty, resentment and fear. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 84
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Not to consider. When I am too busy to pray, I am just too busy.
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Acronyms. Odat. One day at a time.
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Just for today. Focus from the three legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Washingtonian
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Society, a movement among alcoholics which started in Baltimore a century ago, the 1850s, almost
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discovered the answer to alcoholism. At first, the society was composed entirely of alcoholics
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trying to help one another. The early members foresaw that they should dedicate themselves
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to this one aim. In many respects, the Washingtonians were akin to AA. Their membership passed
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the 500,000 mark. Had they stuck to their one goal, they might have found the full answer.
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Instead, the Washingtonians permitted politicians and reformers, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic,
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to use the society for their own purposes. Avalition of slavery, for example, was a story-political
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issue then. Soon, Washingtonian speakers violently and publicly took sides on this question.
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Maybe the society could have survived the abolition controversy, but it did not have a chance
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from the moment it decided to reform all America's drinking habits. Some of the Washingtonians
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became temperants, crusaders. Within a very few years, they had completely lost their effectiveness
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in helping alcoholics and the society collapsed. Alcoholics anonymous, comes of age, pages 124,
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125, daily reflections, turning it over. Every man and woman who has joined AA and intends to stick
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has, without realizing it, made a beginning on step three. Isn't it true that in all matters
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touching upon alcohol, each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the care,
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protection, and guidance of alcoholics anonymous. Any willing newcomer feels sure AA is the only
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safe harbor for the foundering vessel he has become. Now, if this is not turning one's will and
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life over to a new found providence, then what is? 12 steps and 12 traditions, page 35.
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Submission to God was the first step to my recovery. I believe our fellowship seeks a spirituality
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open to a new kinship with God. As I exert myself to follow the path of the steps, I sense a
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freedom that gives me the ability to think for myself. My addiction confined me without any release
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and hindered my ability to be released from my self confinement, but AA assures me of a way to go
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forward. Mutual sharing, concern, and caring for others is our natural gift to each other,
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and mine is strengthened as my attitude toward God changes. I learn to submit to God's will in my
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life, to have self-respect, and to keep both these attitudes by giving away what I receive.
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As Bill sees it, thousands of founders. While I thank God that I was privileged to be an early
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member of AA, I honestly wish that the word founder could be eliminated from the AA vocabulary.
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When you get right down to it, everyone who has done any amount of successful 12-step work
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is bound to be the founder of a new life for other alcoholics. AA was not invented. Its
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basics were brought to us through the experience and wisdom of many great friends. We simply borrowed
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and adapted their ideas. Thankfully, we have accepted the devoted services of many non-alcoholics.
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We owe our very lives to the men and women of medicine and religion, and speaking for Dr. Bob
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and myself, I gratefully declare that it had not been for our wives, and in lowest, neither of us
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could have lived to see AA's beginning. Number one, letter 1945. Number two, letter 1966. Number three,
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letter 1966. Big book quote. Now we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the past.
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We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on self-will
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and run the show ourselves. If we haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes. Remember,
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it was agreed at the beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol. Alcoholics
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anonymous into action, page 76. 24 hours a day, AA thought for the day. We must go to AA meetings
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regularly. We must learn to think differently. We must change from alcoholic thinking to sober
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thinking. We must reeducate our minds. We must try to help other alcoholics. We must cooperate
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with God by spending at least as much time and energy on the AA program as we did on drinking.
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We must follow the AA program to the best of our ability. Have I turned my alcoholic problem
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over to God and am I cooperating with Him? Meditation for the day. The joy of true fellowship shall
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be mine in full measure. I will revel in the joy of real fellowship. There will come back a
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wonderful joy if I share in the fellowship now. Fellowship among spiritually minded people
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is the embodiment of God's purpose for this world. To realize this will bring me a new life joy.
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If I share in humanity's joy and travail a great blessing will be mine. I can truly live a life
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not a birth but a heaven life here and now. Prayer for the day. I pray that I may be helped and
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healed by true spiritual fellowship. I pray that I may sense his presence in spiritual fellowship
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with his children. Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, Minnesota 55012. This is Kurt.
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I'm an alcoholic. We hope you enjoy today's readings. You can also receive Transitions Daily via
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email and discuss today's readings in our secret Facebook group. So for more information go to
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dailyAAemails.com today. Other than the 24 hours a day reading unless otherwise specified,
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all quotes copyright Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc. 1952 through 2001.